UBEC To Introduce Cluster Learning Centres

Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), as part of its commitment to improve basic education delivery across the country, would soon set up Cluster Learning Centres for the Girl Child (CCLCGs).

UBEC executive secretary, Dr Hamid Bobboyi made the disclosure at a roundtable convened for the development of a framework for the proposed CCLCG intervention.

Spokesperson of the commission, Ossom Ossom said the roundtable which is coming on the heels of renewed calls for strategic focus on the education of the girl-child, which accounts for 60 per cent of all out-of-school children in Nigeria, is part of UBEC’s drive towards ensuring increased access and quality of basic education for the girl-child especially in the Northern states.

According to him, “Participants at the opening session of the roundtable, noted that the challenge of out-of-school children is a recurring decimal with the girl-child bearing the larger brunt of this challenge thus the compelling need to institute remedial interventions for the girl-child as part of UBEC’s efforts at addressing the out-of school menace.”

He said that they also emphasized that government and its allies as well as basic education stakeholders should take concrete steps towards addressing the issues which hinder girls and other vulnerable groups from accessing quality basic education.

They commended UBEC for the proposed CCLCG initiative and urged states to scale up strategies and approaches that focus on the acquisition of literacy, numeracy and importantly the acquisition of relevant skills.

UBEC director of Special Programmes, Alhaji Hassan D. Umar in his welcome remarks observed that the roundtable was being convened as part of measures geared towards addressing the menace of out-of-school girls, which contribute to the poverty, hunger and disease in our communities.